Electric fixtures such as a chandelier, a ceiling fan or a light fixture often are mounted to extend from a ceiling, wall or floor. Such an arrangement necessitates that an opening be made in the ceiling, wall or floor to mount and electrically connect the fixture to a power source. A small canopy or the like is typically provided with the fixture to cover this opening. Many times, however, the canopy provided with the fixture is too small to cover the opening. Moreover, it is often desired to provide an additional decorative furnishing to enhance the appearance of the fixture. Thus, it is often desired to provide a decorative plate that fits about the canopy so as to fully cover any opening in the surface immediately behind or above the canopy, and to increase the aesthetic appeal of the fixture.
Various types of decorative plates are known in the prior art purporting to fulfill this need. For example, it is known to provide a unitary decorative plate member with an aperture of sufficient dimension to receive the canopy of a fixture. As a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 636,943 discloses a decorative plate consisting of two halves held together by a lug assembly on the backside of the plate. U.S. Pat. No. 773,445 discloses yet another decorative plate consisting of two halves. This plate is held together by holding pins, also located on the backside of the plate.
Problems exist in the use of such prior art plates. The unitary plate member is preferably installed simultaneously with the new fixture. To install the unitary plate with an existing electric fixture, the fixture must be completely dismounted and electrically disconnected, and then remounted and reconnected with the plate above or behind the fixture. A problem with the devices disclosed in the cited patents is that the lug assembly and the holding pins are attached to the backside of the plate. Thus, the plate cannot be pressed flush against the ceiling, wall or floor. Furthermore, such lug assemblies and holding pins are difficult to manipulate when installing the plate. Yet another problem with these devices is that the component parts of the lug assembly and the holding pins are easily broken or otherwise detached from the plate. Without these attaching devices, the plate halves cannot be held together and the device is unusable.
The prior art has heretofore lacked a decorative plate that may be quickly and easily fitted to an existing fixture and pressed flush against a ceiling, wall or floor. The prior art has further heretofore lacked a plate formed in sections which could be held together without use of separate attachment devices such as holding pins, lug assemblies and the like.